Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Most of you already know where we are headed for this evenings study.

We are in the book of James.

We are working our way through it doing a very detailed study of each verse, paragraph, and chapter.

Our text for this evening is found in James 3. I would remind you that the entire book of James is all about living out our faith.

In chapter 3, the focus is on us living out our faith skillfully.

Someone who is skillful is someone who is well versed in their particular art or profession.

For example, there are skillful mechanics.

Men, and today women, who understand all there is about the mechanics of a car and motor.

They have mastered the skills of repairing vehicles.

Skillful people are people of experience.

Skillful people are those who understand the proper use of the tools in their trade.

We like skillful people do we not?

If you were going in for heart surgery, for example, would you want a hear surgeon who is experienced and skillful or the surgeon who is performing his very first operation?

If we have the choice, we want the experienced and skilled surgeon.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps understand that we must become skillful at living out our faith.

We must use daily experiences to grow in our faith.

Additionally, we must learn to use the tools skillfully as live out our faith each day.

One such tool is our tongue.

The tongue and its use is the focal point at the beginning of this chapter.

Let’s read the entire paragraph and then we will come back to verses 5 and 6.

Now go back to verses 5 and 6 where we read.

GRAMMAR STUDY

Now, before we go much further, you have already the handout with the grammatical work that I did.

Instead of me going through and listing them verbally, I have provided the handout for you study on your own.

So I am not going to take the time to go through each of these.

Instead, I am just going to point out to you anything that stood out as being significant to me as I was doing the grammatical study.

The word “matter” is a word that surprised me as I was studying.

Normally, in today’s English and in the context is used, we think of matter as being a substance of some particular kind.

For instance, if I say, “Most vegetable matter is compostable”you understand that I am talking about substance that makes up vegetables.

However, as I was studying this word, I found that in the Greek language, the original language of the New Testament, the word “matter” is the Greek word used for a forest.

Thus, when we read, “How great a matter a little fire kindleth!” it means how great a forest a little fire kindleth or as we know sets on fire.

We will come back to that thought in a few minutes when we do our Spiritual Application.

I just found that to be interesting.

Another thing that was curiosity to me was some other things like “a world of iniquity,” “the course of nature,” and “set on fire of hell.”

If you look at the notes I gave you, we find the following.

“world of iniquity” means totally unrighteous.

“World” has the idea of complete or total.

“Iniquity” is, as we know, anything unrighteous failing to meet or adhere to God’s principles, commands, or laws.

Thus, our tongue, representing our flesh, is completely and totally unrighteous in its original state.

“course of nature” means the original course of man’s existence.

It is a phrase that takes us back to our original sinful state.

Remember that Scripture is quite clear in Romans 3:23 “23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Again, we read in Romans 5:12 “12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Thus, nature’s course (origin) is sinful origin due to Adam’s rebellion to God’s command.

In our context, the tongue left unchecked will always light the fire of original sin.

“set on fire of hell” gives us the thought that a sinful tongue is a product of hell itself.

The verb phrase “set on fire” literally means to set ablaze, to set fire to, or to cause to start burning.

Hell, as we know, is a place torment noted for its fire where sinners suffer eternal damnation.

Now, let’s move to the Spiritual Application of these verses.

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION

As always, I like to explore the answer to two very important questions.

The first of which is this.

What is the Holy Spirit talking about?

Obviously, the Holy Spirit is talking our tongues.

Our tongue is the instrument that we use to communicate with others.

In context, the Holy Spirit is addressing the importance of a believer’s use of the tongue.

Remember that this chapter and paragraph started with admonition to not seek being a “master” or teacher.

Again, we must remember that teaching is a very serious responsibility.

The main instrument used in teaching is the tongue.

As we will see, the tongue is quite capable of destroying, however, it can also be a wonderful instrument in building up others as well.

The tongue, then, is very important and we must learn to use it skillfully according to God’s Word allowing God’s Spirit to control it.

What is the Holy Spirit saying about the tongue?

Verse 5 states the following.

First, the tongue “is a little member.”

You may remember last week’s study of verses 3 and 4.

There the Holy Spirit gave us two example of little things.

The Tongue is Small

A bit is small.

The average size of a bit is about 6 inches.

Yet, that small bit is used to control an 1800 lb animal.

Helms are a ship’s rudder.

Rudders are small.

Yet, a small rudder in the hands of a skilled pilot can steer a ship through fierce storms.

Each of these are small but yield great power.

In the same manner, the tongue is a “little (small)” part of the body.

Here are a few fun facts about the human tongue.

A man’s tongue is typically 3.3 inches in length; however, a woman’s tongue is typically 3.1 inches in length.

Nick Stoebel of Salinis, California holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest tongue recorded at 3.97 inches.

In many cultures around the word, sticking out your tongue is considered rude and quite offensive.

However, in Tibet, sticking out your tongue is a way of greeting others.

In New Zealand, among the Maori people, sticking out your tongue is part of a war chant and is meant to intimidate the enemy.

Those are some things I found interesting in my research this week.

The point, however, is this.

Our tongues are small compared to rest of our body.

It is a little over 3 inches, but, boy, what power it controls over us and others.

The Tongue is Pride’s Most Valued Tool

Note next, according to our text, that the tongue “boasteth great things.”

There is no doubt that all of us are full of pride.

It is something that Scripture warns us about in both the Old and New Testaments.

Here are just few examples.

Scripture also gives us many example of people who were filled with pride.

People such as Pharoah, Naaman, Uzziah, Hezekiah,Haman, Nebuchadnezzar and the list goes on.

Of course, the most noted being who filled his heart with pride was Satan.

It is also interesting to note how that many of these individuals exhibited their pride through the use of their tongues.

They boasted great things.

For example, Satan proclaimed in his own these words.

And, so he tried.

Christ was quite clear about how what is in our hearts eventually comes out for all to see.

So, when the Holy Spirit says the tongue “boasteth great things,” we know that it is pride’s most valuable tool.

We all know this.

If you have lived any amount of time around other people, which we all have, you will find how quick the tongue is defending one’s own pride.